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“Christians are not perfect people. They are normal human beings that make mistakes just like everyone else. The difference is that they are not defined by their mistakes because they have put their faith and trust in a perfect God.”

There seems to be a misconception about Christians that I wanted to address tonight. I have been told by more than one person that Christians are nothing more than hypocrites who enjoy making others feel badly about themselves. This really hurts, but it hurts worse when I can see where they might have gotten that impression.

I had two conversations today about the church- once with my mother and then again with a good friend of mine. I discussed why I’m so passionate about reaching out to those that may have felt abandoned by the church. I drew a couple of things away from those talks that I wanted to share with you.

First, I find it so interesting (and yet terribly sad) that many church-going people today closely resemble the Pharisees mentioned in the Bible. They go to church habitually, pray, worship- and yet are so completely rigid and unemotional when it comes to talking about Christ to someone who doesn’t fit their “cookie cutter” version of faith.

Luke 18:9-14“And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: Two men went to up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Second, The Great Commission is something that every Christian is called to partake in- that is, reaching other people and sharing who Christ really is with them. One of things that strikes me as odd is this belief that we can look down on others, ostracize, belittle, and talk about them behind their backs because they do not hold to the same things we do, and still reach them for Christ! Judging other people will not bring them into the kingdom. That is not our job. We are to love them- we are to pray for them, and we are to reach out to them!

Matthew 28:16-20“Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

If you have been hurt by someone in the Church, I’d first like to apologize. Second I’d simply like to ask that you not turn away from Christ because of the actions of a few people. Christians are just that- people. We make mistakes.

I am so thankful that I serve a God who can turn a mistake I’ve made into something beautiful. He (God) is not bound by the box that we put Him in. He sees you, He loves you, and He wants to be reunited with you.